Event and solidarity dinner: Socialist community in a destroyed city – ecological and feminist reconstruction in Samandağ

More than two years have passed since the devastating earthquake in Kurdistan, Turkey, and northern Syria – and over a year since the election victory of the Değişim İttifakı (Alliance for Change) in Samandağ. The municipality of Samandağ, located in Antakya (Hatay) in the southernmost part of Turkey and on the border with northern Syria, was particularly hard hit by the devastating consequences of the earthquake. Since then, the region has experienced a great wave of solidarity and a determined struggle for a dignified life is being waged. The victory of the alliance in Samandağ, supported by the Türkiye İşçi Partisi (Workers' Party of Turkey), the Toplumsal Özgürlük Partisi (Party for Social Freedom) and other socialist and democratic forces, paved the way for fundamental change in which the population is directly involved. We invite you to take a deeper look at Samandağ, Turkey's only socialist-led municipality: at the emergence of self-determined local politics, the community's resistance to the sale of land and living spaces, and the joint efforts of the Arab Alevi population against the massacres in Syria.

We will learn how citizens are participating as active agents in feminist and ecological reconstruction. At the same time, reference will be made to the current political situation in Turkey and the many events will be placed in context.

Speakers:

• Emrah Karaçay, Mayor of Samandağ and representative of the Türkiye İşçi Partisi

• Perihan Koca, board member of the Toplumsal Özgürlük Partisi and member of parliament for the DEM party in Mersin

• Cemile Baklacı, member of the Toplumsal Özgürlük Partisi and spokesperson for the feminist organization Mor Dayanışma

The evening is being organized in collaboration with the Movement for Socialism (BFS). We look forward to an evening of international solidarity together! The event will be held in German and Turkish. Please bring your own headphones for translation.